Transcript UNIT 6 THE DIVA

Diva – Italian for goddess
Characteristics of a Diva
Learn more about music
Are all singers Divas?
Classical Music – Diva – person of supreme talentvocal faculty and conveys nuances of music
 Generally opera music singers
 Almost larger than life
 Negative –
demanding, difficult to work with
 Sir Charles Mackerras describes the diva thus:
There has to be something unusual as well as
competent about a diva, something compelling
about her personality, whether you like it or not,
whether it be charming or repellent ... or both at
the same time.
(quoted in Matheopoulos, 1998, p. xix)
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ARE THEY ALL DIVAS?
 Madonna
– manipulated media –
controlled public image
 Young Soprano – challenges of an
opera singer- what makes a singer
 Maria Callas – mid 20thC – public life –
tragic roles – La Divina
 Ferrara Ladies – end 16thC – no public
appearance- very few people heard
them- writings about them and
modern recordings.
AttentionNumber One hits – more than any other woman
Nominated and awarded
Sold over 300 million records
Maverick – her own production company
 Voice – Material Girl and Like A Prayer
- thin and lacking power
- strong and rich; developed and matured;
use of voice, chorus, music and video
 Author – producer – entrepreneur
- a powerful woman, successful, role model
 Image/ Persona
- star appeal; continually manipulate and change
her image
 Mass media – exploited video for promotions
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 Musical
and Vocal Talent
 Image
 Powerful
Female
 Themes and Style of her Music
Aria – Italian for song; repetition of text
 Legato – Smooth music
 Ornament – decorate a long note
 Vocal control and musicality
 Phrases – parts
 Accompaniment – musical or vocal support
 Texture – music blending together
 Pizzicato – plucking
 Dynamics – Volume
- piano(softly), pianissimo (very softly)
- forte( loudly), fortissimo (very loudly)
 Recitative – a style of singing close to speech; no
repetition of text
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Biography – Chronology (Pg. 192)
- short international career
- sudden loss of weight
- divorce
- Onassis
A parallel to tragic roles on stage
As a Singer – Tosca (Pg.193,track 5)
- sensitive way of acting the words as she sings
them
- emotional range
The Music – disjointed text; music as glue; orchestra;
use of repetition
Prestige and the Opera House
National heritage; Part of culture; similar to football
Opera houses – grand, expensive
Opera singers – glamorous – play the part on stage and
in life
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Northern Italian town of Ferrara- Duke Alfonso
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Ensemble – group of singers; private concerts; courtly music by the
finest composers
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Luzzasco Luzzaschi – most celebrated composer
- madrigals – secular songs
- harpsichord music
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4 women – virtuosic female singers Concerto delle donne
- made courtiers because of musical ability
- ladies-in- waiting to his 3rd wife
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Madrigals – imitation (Pg.187)
- word painting (track 6)
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Singing – not liked by everyone; sang anything; small audience (Pg.
195-196)
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Historical Voices – contemporary accounts, written music - reliable?
- more about setting than singing ability
- 6.8 –Striggio – knows what it is like
- printed music- shows the difficulty.
 Each
one worthy of title Diva?
 Sir Charles Mackerras describes the diva thus:
There has to be something unusual as
well as competent about a diva, something
compelling about her personality, whether
you like it or not, whether it be charming
or repellent ... or both at the same time.
(quoted in Matheopoulos, 1998, p. xix)
 All Competent in their fields
 All musical standards of a Diva?